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UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE 

RUPERT BLUE, Surgeon General 



LUNG CAPACITY OF CHILDREN 



SCHOOL CHILDREN 

THE CITY OF X 



^ESTS OF 1,618 
(751 BOYS, 867 GIRLS) 



BY 

C. W. STILES 

Professor of Zoology 
AND 

FLOYD GRAVES 

Acting Assistant Surgeon, United States Public Health Service 



REPRINT No. 306 

FROM THE 

PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTS 

October 15, 1915 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1915 



Monograoh 



ADDITIONAL COPIES 

OF THIS PUBLICATION MAT BE PROCURED FROM 

THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D. C. 

AT 

5 CENTS PER COPY 
V 



D. of Do 
DEC 22 1915 



fb \ LUNG CAPACITY OF CHILDREN. 

SPIROMETER TESTS OF 1,618 WHITE SCHOOL CHILDREN (751 BOYS, 867 GIRLS) IN THE 

CITY OF X.i 

. By C. W. Stiles, Professor of Zoology, and Floyd Graves, Acting Assistant Surgeon, United States 

Public Health Service. 

Of the white school children of the city of X, dry-spirometer tests 
(for lung capacity or " vital capacity") are available for 1,618 pupils 
(751 boys, 867 girls) from 6 to 17.75 years old, inclusive. 

Each child was given three trials, and the highest record was taken 
for final summary. The tabulations were made by sex, by quarter 
years that are then summarized by total years, and by sanitary condi- 
tions of the home as respects presence of a privy (Group P) , presence 
of sewer connection but no privy (Group S), and homes of unknown 

sanitation (Group U). 

White Boys. 

Of 751 white boys for whom the results of spirometer tests are 
comparable, 583 belong to Group S, 110 to Group P, and 58 to 
Group U. 

Average spirometer tests for total year periods. — There is an annual 
average increase in the lung capacity from 6 years to 17 years, and 
this increase becomes especially marked from 14 to 16 years. The 
conditions are shown on Chart 1. 

Of the 12 total year periods from 6 to 17, inclusive (chart 2), the 
boys of group S excelled those of group P in 8 periods, and in 4 
periods the boys of group P excelled those of group S. 

Average for quarter-year periods. — In 23 quarter-year periods group 

S excelled, in 14 periods group P excelled, and 11 periods could not 

be compared. In some instances the groups were reduced to very 

small numbers. 

White Girls. 

Of 867 white girls for whom the results of spirometer tests are 
comparable, 660 belong to group S, 166 to group P, and 41 to 
group U. 

Average spirometer tests for total year periods. — As shown on chart 
1, there is an increase in the lung capacity from 6 to 17 years. This 
increase shows an irregularity at 8 and 1 1 years, but is fairly uniform 
up to 13 years. From 14 to 17 years there is a marked decrease of the 
increase. 

In 7 total year periods group S distinctly excelled group P, in 
5 total year periods group P excelled group S, but in 2 of these 
periods the excess in favor of P was slight. 

i For other articles on the school children of the city of X, see Public Health Reports as follows: Difficul- 
ties in obtaining ages, v. 30 (5), Jan. 29, pp. 310-311; Zooparasite Infections, v. 30 (27), July 2, 1915, 
pp. 1991-2002; School Grades, v. 30 (28), 1915, pp. 2060-2067; Tobacco and snuff, v. 30 (40), Oct. 1, 1915, 
pp. 2926-2928; Heights and Weights, v. 30 (41), Oct. 8, 1915, pp. 2990-3003. 

Reprint from the Public Health Reports, vol. 30, No. 42, Oct. 15, 1915. 

13287°— 15 3 



LUNG CAPACITY OF CHILDREN". 



Table 1. — Average, minimum, and maximum lung capacity (vital capacity), as measured 
in cubic centimeters tuith dry spirometer, of 751 white boys and 867 girls 6 to 17.75 years 
old, inclusive, summarized in total year periods and sanitary groups. 

[r=children from homes provided with a privy; S= children from homes with sewer connection but with- 
out a privy; U=home sanitation unknown; T= total of P, S, and U.] 



6 years, S. 
6 years, P . 

6 years, U 

T.... 

7 years, S. 
7 years, P. 

7 years, U 

T.... 

8 years, S. 
8 years, P . 

8 years, U 

T.... 

9 years, S. 
9 years, P . 
9 years, U 

T.... 

10 years, S. 
10 years, P. 

10 years, U 

T.... 

11 years, S. 
11 years, P. 

11 years, TJ 

T.... 

12 years, S. 
12 years, P. 

12 years, U 

T.... 

13 years, S. 
13 years, P. 

13 years, U 

T.... 

14 years, S. 
14 years, P 

14 years, TJ 

T.... 

15 years, S. 
15 years, P 

15 years, U 

T.... 

16 years, S. 
16 years, P 

16 years, U 

T.... 

17 years, S. 
17 years, P 
17 years, U 

T.... 



Spirometer in cubic centimeters. 



751 boys. 



Number 

of 
pupils. 



80 



82 



66 



33 



Average. 



1,015.39 
1,232.00 
1, 120. 00 



1,052.50 



1,226.32 
1,137.14 
1,180.00 



1,390.63 
1,205.71 
1,320.00 



1,356.50 



1,461.33 
1,415.38 
1,344.00 



1,448.60 



697. 66 

486. 67 

5S2. 22 



833.21 
672. 38 
808. 00 



1,789.27 



052. 83 
905. 45 
217. 14 



2,046.20 



144. 73 
410. 00 
933. 33 



2,253.63 



500. 00 
775. 00 
484. 44 



926. 83 
720. 00 
839. 00 



,334.67 

,880.00 
,000.00 



353. 85 
720. 00 
240. 00 



3,501.18 



Mini- 
mum. 



640 

800 

1,120 



640 



720 

640 

1,120 



640 

640 

1,280 



640 



720 
1,040 



720 



640 

800 

1,040 



1,200 
1,040 
1,360 



1,440 
1,360 
1,440 



1,600 
1,840 
2,160 



1,520 
1,760 
1,820 



1,520 



1,840 
2,000 
1,920 



1,840 



1,840 

2,880 
2,000 



1,840 



2,240 
3,440 
4,000 



2,240 



Maxi- 
mum. 



1,520 
1,440 
1,120 



1,520 



1,760 
1,600 
1,360 



2,000 
1,680 
1,360 



2,000 



2,240 
2,000 
1,840 



2,240 



2,400 
1,920 
2,000 



3,040 
2,480 
2,080 



3,040 



2,720 
3,760 



3,760 



3,520 
3,200 
3,520 



3,520 



3,520 
4,320 
3,680 



3,840 
3,440 
4,160 



4,8S0 



4,8,80 
4,000 
4,4S0 



4,880 



867 girls. 



Number 

of 
pupils. 



36 



63 



20 



85 



74 



Average. 



849. 33 
896. 00 
800. 00 



854. 44 



1,075.12 
1,120.00 
1,173.33 



1,095.48 



1,208.70 
1,056.00 
1,360.00 



1,177.14 



1,281.42 
1,436.19 
1,280.00 



1,508.89 
1,444.00 
1,520.00 



1,495.32 



1,636.91 
1,487.05 
1, 786. 67 



1,612.23 



1,865.76 
1,875.00 
2,000.00 



1,876.00 



2,151.35 
2,013.33 
2,040.00 



2,122.55 



2,181.47 
2,188.00 
3,024.00 



2,228.17 



2,306.21 
2,172.31 
2,426.67 



2,287.57 



2,385.14 



2,400.00 
2,320.00 
3,200.00 



2,421. S2 



Mini- 
mum. 



400 
800 
800 



400 



640 

720 

1,040 



1,040 



640 



800 

800 

1,040 



1,040 
1,440 



1,040 

960 

1,440 



1,200 
1,280 
1,760 



1,200 



1,440 
1,280 
2,000 



1,280 



1,440 
1,360 



1,360 
1,280 
2,240 



1,280 



1,520 
1,760 
1,600 



1,520 



1,760 
2,320 
3,200 



1,760 



Maxi- 
mum. 



1,360 

1,120 

800 



1,360 



1,760 
1,520 
1,360 



1,760 



1,680 
1,520 
1,680 



1,680 



2,080 
1,920 
1,760 



2,400 
1,920 
1,600 



2,400 



2,320 
2,320 
2,240 



2,960 
2,480 
2,400 



3,040 
2,800 
2,080 



3,040 



3,200 
2,640 
3,040 



3,200 



3,240 
2,800 
2,560 



3,240 



3,200 
2,560 
2,320 



3,200 



3,360 
2,320 
3,200 



3,360 



LUNG CAPACITY OP CHILDREN. 




Chart 1.— Average lung capacity, measured in c. c. with dry 
spirometer, of 751 white boys (J) and 867 white girls (?), 
summarized in total year periods. 



LUNG CAPACITY OF CHILDREN. 




Chart 2 
spirometer of 



lung capacity, measured in c. c. with dry 
583 white boys of Group S and 110 of Group P. 



LUNG CAPACITY OF CHILDEEN. 



Average for quarter-year periods. — In 23 quarter-year periods group 
.S excels, in 17 group P excels, and in 8 periods no comparison could 
be made. In some periods the groups contain few pupils. 

Comparison of Boys and Girls. 

If chart 1 be studied, the fact becomes evident that the average 
lung capacity, as measured by a dry spirometer, averages about 100 
to 200 cubic centimeters higher in boys than in girls from 6 to 13 
years old, inclusive. At 14 years old a very greatly increased 



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Chart 3. — Average lung capacity, measured in c. c. with dry spirom- 
eter, of 660 white girls of Group S and 116 of Group P. 

difference in lung capacity becomes evident in favor of the boys, and 
this difference increases from 14 to 17 years, inclusive; at 17 years 
the difference between the boys and girls is very marked (nearly 
1,100 cubic centimeters). 

Spirometer Tests in Intestinal Infections. 

Necator. — In 22 cases (15 boys, 7 girls) pupils showing hookworm 
infections were lower in lung capacity than the average for their 
respective groups, and in 31 cases (24 boys, 7 girls) they were above 
the average. 



8 



LUNG CAPACITY OP CHILDREN. 



Ascaris. — In 15 cases (11 boys, 4 girls) pupils showing Ascaris 
infection were lower than the average for their respective groups, and 
in 23 cases (21 boys, 2 girls) they were above the average. 

Tricliuris. — In 7 cases (6 boys, 1 girl) pupils showing infection with 
whip worms were lower than the average of their respective groups, 
and in 1 case (a boy) the pupil was above the average. 

Lamblia. — In 34 cases (22 boys, 12 girls) pupils showing infection 
with Lamblia were lower than the average of their respective groups, 
and in 39 cases (32 boys, 7 girls) they were above the average. 

Endams&ba coli. — In 24 cases (18 boys, 6 girls) pupils showing 

infection with E. coli were lower than the average of their respective 

groups, and in 27 cases (18 boys, 9 girls) they were higher than the 

average. 

Summary and Conclusion. 

From 6 to 13 years old, inclusive, the white boys of the city of X 
average from 100 to 200 cubic centimeters greater lung capacity (as 
measured by the dry spirometer) than the girls. From 14 to 17 
years the boys have progressively from about 300 to about 1,100 
cubic centimeters greater lung capacity than the girls. Thus the 
increase in high-school age (athletic age) in the boys is out of all 
proportion to the increase in primary and grammar (graded) school 
age. 

From 6 to 13 years old, inclusive, the yearly increase in the lung 
capacity of the girls of the city of X is very similar to that of the boys, 
but at 14 there develops a distinct decrease of the increase, and from 

14 to 17 years, inclusive, the annual increase averages distinctly less 
than for the years 6 to 13. 

The decrease of the increase at 14 years in the girls follows im- 
mediately upon the average age of beginning menstruation (13.2 
years), and it corresponds with the decrease of the increase in height 
(sitting and standing) and weight. 

There is a slight irregularity of the increase curve at 11 in both 
boys and girls, corresponding to the irregularity found for the same 
year in the curves for height (sitting and standing) and weight in 
the boys and for sitting height in the girls. 

In the case of both the boys and the girls, children from homes 
provided with better sanitation (group S) have a tendency (total, 

15 to 9; boys 8 to 4, girls 7 to 5; estimated in year groups) to greater 
lung capacity than the children from homes with poorer sanitation 
(group P; total, 9 to 15; boys 4 to 8, girls 5 to 7). 

In cases of intestinal infection it was not evident that hookworms, 
Ascaris, Lamblia, or Endamseba coli had any noticeable effect upon 
the spirometer tests. While pupils with whipworm infections showed 
a preponderance of tests lower than the average, the number of cases 
is so small that conclusions are of doubtful value. 

o 



